One in 20 Americans gets most of their hydration from bottled water, and only 10% drink exclusively tap water — but experts are warning that it’s time to rethink our drinking habits. It’s for the good of our individual and planetary health, say the authors of a new commentary published in the journal BMJ Global Health on Tuesday. While bottled water is lifesaving in countries without access to clean well or municipal water, the authors say that the rest of us are unnecessarily exposing ourselves to toxins, using excess plastic and choosing a relatively unregulated source of water over highly tested tap water.
So what’s really in your bottled water? Here’s what to know.
Why experts are concerned about the health effects of bottled water
High rates of contamination have been found in bottled water, according to the commentary written by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar researchers. Just how common that is varies widely: Anywhere from 10% to 78% of samples of bottled water have been found to contain contaminants that may be harmful to human health. They include:
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Microplastics: Popular brands of bottled water contain up to 100 times more nanoplastics — even tinier flecks of the material than microplastics — than previously thought, a monumental study found earlier this year. We now know that these plastic bits have made their way into many parts of our bodies, where they may trigger inflammation, metabolic changes, reproductive issues and Parkinson’s disease-related brain changes. And it’s not just drinking bottled water that exposes us to microplastics. “Nine out of 10 plastic bottles end up in the environment where they disintegrate into microplastics and nanoplastics that cause global pollution and adverse health effects on living organisms including humans,” Rolf Halden, director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, tells Yahoo Life.
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Phthalates: These chemicals are used to make plastics more flexible and durable. They can be found in everything from cosmetic products to food, flooring and bottled water. Phthalates are known as “endocrine disruptors” because they interfere with the endocrine system, which regulates hormones. The chemicals have been linked to reproductive health issues, low IQ in children and metabolic changes.
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PFAS: Best known as forever chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are synthetics used to treat products including carpets and nonstick pans to make them heat-resistant. It can take hundreds or thousands of years for PFAS to break down in the environment and up to a decade for them to leave the human body. And while they’re already in our bodies, high levels of PFAS may contribute to higher cholesterol levels, liver enzyme changes, preeclampsia during pregnancy, low birth weights and greater testicular and kidney cancer risks. They may also contribute to obesity and metabolic issues.
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BPA: Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical used to make food packaging stronger and less vulnerable to corrosion or breaking down. But like phthalates, it disrupts hormones and has been linked to higher risks of infertility, PCOS, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast and prostate cancer. However, the Food and Drug Administration considers BPA levels in food packaging safe, and stated after a four-year review that safety standards don’t need to be changed.
Much of the concern over chemicals found in water bottles and food packaging is based on animal studies because it’s difficult to study in humans. “We do not know all the ramifications of chronic exposure to some of these chemicals, but certainly they are concerning,” Dr. Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life.
She adds that we may begin to see the health effects in humans in the coming decade. “The degree of that harm or toxicity is yet to be determined,” Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of California, Irvine, tells Yahoo Life. “Whether it’s toxic or not toxic, we should not have [these chemicals in our bodies] because when we have something foreign to our bodies, that will constitute a health issue for sure.”
Bottled water may not be safer than tap. But many people think it is.
In much of the U.S. — and other wealthy nations — tap water is tightly regulated, frequently tested and “often exceeds [bottled water] in safety,” according to the authors of the new commentary. Yet they blame marketing for the fact that many people prefer bottled water and buy into its health halo. Alan agrees, saying: “Just look at the names of some of these brands of water. It’s a classic marketing strategy in my opinion.”
Halden says the notion that bottled water is better for you is “probably due to the misguided belief that ‘virgin water’ exists and can be found in plastic bottles,” he says. “There is no such thing as virgin water — all water on this planet constantly cycles between becoming contaminated and being purified.”
On the national level, the U.S. has among the cleanest, safest water supplies in the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that isn’t perfectly consistent. De Vizcaya Ruiz notes that it’s not only reasonable but also safer to drink bottled water in parts of the country that have long been home to major industrial plants and may not have clean water. Case in point: The crisis in Flint, Mich., over high levels of lead in its water supply. (You can find out how safe your tap water is here.)
The commentary authors also pointed out that some bottled water brands enhance their products with flavors or carbonation, making them more appealing as a matter of taste. If that’s a reason why some people prefer bottled to tap water, “then the article’s assertion that many bottlers add flavoring seems to place these bottles in the same category as juice and soda” in some cases, James Salzman, a professor of environmental law at the University of California, Los Angeles and author of the book Drinking Water: A History, tells Yahoo Life. Salzman also wonders why the same plastic-related scrutiny isn’t applied to these other bottled beverages.
Safer ways to drink water
If you’re concerned about the possible health effects of bottled water, there’s good news: There are steps you can take to reduce your risks, even if you can’t or don’t want to give up bottled water altogether, says De Vizcaya Ruiz, whose research found microplastics from water bottles in human lungs and bloodstreams. Ranked from best to worst, her top choices for drinking water are:
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Tap water in a reusable glass or stainless steel bottle. As long as you live somewhere with safe drinking water, using these nonplastic containers will sidestep the risk of chemicals leaching from your bottle into your water (though, of course, that doesn’t mean there is zero in your drinking water). However, if you’re using a metal bottle, look for stainless steel (De Vizcaya Ruiz says Thermos brand is trustworthy) and avoid any that have been found to contain lead, including Stanley.
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Thicker plastic single-use water bottles. Have you ever noticed that little triangle with a number in the middle on your plastic water bottle? It’s not just for recycling; it also indicates the quality of the plastic. The lower the number, the better the plastic, and the fewer health effects it’s been linked to (and, bonus: the more easily it can be recycled).
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Clear plastic disposable bottles and jugs. In some cases, it’s unavoidable to use these poorer-quality plastics. De Vizcaya Ruiz says that using them occasionally isn’t likely to cause you much harm. Just make sure you only use them once because they degrade over time and get contaminated by germs with reuse, she says. And never put hot liquid in them or let them sit somewhere warm, like a hot car; heat damages the plastic, leading to more chemical leaching. And especially when it comes to emergency water bottles or jugs, remember that they have an expiration date because the plastic becomes less safe, so make sure to replace them every few months.
